Maryland’s Patent of the Month – October 2020
People have been wearing glasses for centuries. A large proportion of the U.S. population wear glasses (around 75% of adults in America alone!). Glasses protect people by correcting their vision, blocking harmful rays from the sun (i.e., UVA and UVB rays), along with the wind and debris it carries. But despite being around for so long, their design hasn’t changed significantly and they don’t come without limitations.
When glasses are worn close to the face or are designed to be tight-fitting, such as sport sunglasses, airflow behind the lenses is restricted. If you wear glasses, you’ll know this causes the lenses to fog, limiting your vision. Some manufacturers have tried to fix this by creating more space between the lens and your face but doing so potentially lets more harmful sunlight into your eyes. And while ventilation is desired, it’s not always advantageous (like in high wind conditions, where excess airflow can lead to dry eyes. Under Armour created an innovative anti-fogging ventilation system that doesn’t require any extra space – so you don’t suffer from extra light or dryer eyes.
The ventilation system has been cleverly incorporated into the brow of the frame, without adding bulk or changing the aesthetic of the design. It contains a block on each brow which can be moved between two positions – the first being flush with the frame (closed), and the second being up and slightly offset from the frame (open). When the block is in the second position, air flows through and ventilates the glasses so they don’t fog – so you can enjoy clearer vision while playing sports or in steamy weather.
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